Par
Shortbread Editorial
Published on
Jan 5, 2025 at 9:36 a.m.
See my news
Follow Sablé News
In Daumeray (Maine-et-Loire), since 1971, and without exception, the theatrical troupe made up of amateur actors and volunteers performs in January and February each year a play recounting the tumultuous life by Louis Rouget known as “Rouget the poacher”.
“The story of this piece was born in the 1960s. Jules Davy, my father, then director of the private school in Daumeray, decided to write a story drawn from reality based on archives and testimonies,” confides Françoise Chevé.
The true story of Rouget the poacher
Without saying too much, for fear of spoiling the show, Rouget is a simple peasantlandless, in the 1850s. He was a very poor person. He had a farm but did not earn enough money to support his family. So he was poaching, which was forbidden! He was caught in the act and shot a police officer. Villagers helped him hide… An incredible story “which leaves no time for spectators to get bored” even if the play lasts 4h30!
Behind the scenes, teams are working to restore the same sets since the very first performance. The same goes for the costumes.
Around a hundred people bring this show to life
On stage, some actors have been playing the same lines for years without getting tired. “They know their sentences like the back of their hand. They could even do without rehearsals,” smiles the daughter of the initiator of the play.
For 54 years, the play has been repeated tirelessly every year, the actors are renewed and perform in front of a sold-out audience at each performance. “For it to work, you need quality and for that more than 100 peoplefrom 5 to 82 years old, participate on stage and off. Entire families contributed to the success of this piece.
“Why would this stop? “
It's a story that lasts and brings families together and the generations of the village. Some people have already seen the play ten times. We sometimes welcome whole buses. It’s quite inexplicable,” insists Françoise Chevé.
And to the question “will the play ever stop”, the answer is already obvious: “If we continue to attract people for more than 50 years, why would this stop? There are still people in the area who have not seen the play and who discover it every year! »
Performance from January 18 to February 15, Saturday and Sunday, at 2:30 p.m. Prices: €18 adult; 10€ for children (-13 years old). Reservations: 02 43 92 60 49 or [email protected] or [email protected]
Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.
